Key guide



March 22 9 1927,

H- F. M DONALD KEY GUIDE Filed July 27, 1925 HUGH EN -DONALD AT ORNEY Patented Mart 223, 1927.

tater HUG-H F. MCDONALD, OF BURLINGAME, CALIFQENIA.

KEY GUIDE.

Application filed July 27, 1825. Serial No. 46,312.

The present invention relates to keyguides for door-locks and such like, and is designed primarily to assist in the location of key-holes in automobile shift-lever locks, store-window switch-plug locks, and other key-operated locks so positioned as to render uncertaim owing to light conditions or location, the finding of the key-hole and inscrtion of the key.

The device comprises a pendulum-like member provided with a key-retaining notch, or notches, adapted to swing from pivotal point above the key-hole and so positioned, relative to the keyhole, that, when the device is located by touch and the key placed in one of the notches of the member and swung about its pivotal point, the key is automatically brought into registration with the key-hole and the said member held to position by a properly placed stop awaiting the necessary pressure upon the key for its insertion.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described that will assist individuals in locating frontdoor key-holes under poor light conditions, or night-watchn'ien in readily finding switch-plug key-holes in store-windows, which are ordinarily placed in inconvenient,

O or out-of-the-way, locations.

A further object is the provision of a key guide of extremely simple and attractive design and one cheaply stamped from a single piece of metal and readily attachable to a convenient member of the lock-construction.

Other objects and advantages will appear with reference to the subjoined specification and accompanying one sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing an embodiment of my invention as applied to an ordinary door-dock, the full line position of the pendulum-member being substantially the normal position thereof relative to the key-hole, the dot-and-dash position indicating the movement through are of the pendulum and key necessary to bring the key into registration with the keyhole;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the door shown in Figure 1, in which is represented the method of securing the device to the door-lock Figure 3 is a perspective view of the guide-member shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure & is a front elevation of a Yalelock, showing an embodiment of my invention as applied to this form of lock;

Figure 5 is a detail of the embodiment shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an edge view of the one shown in Figure 1; and a Figure 7 is a detail of another form of guide-member having two key-engaging notches suitable for use in connection with switch-plug locks.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and to Figures 1 and 2 in particular, my inven tion, as therein indicated, is shown as applied to an ordinary lock 1, being properly mounted upon the bearing-member 2 thereof directly above the key-hole. The guidemember shown in these views comprises a stamping forming an arm 3 bearing a boss 4 provided with an opening 5 adapted to fit the bearing member 2 and positioned for oscillatory movement relative to said member as a pivotal point, said arm being provided adjacent its lower end with a keyengaging notch 6 adapted to receive and guide the shank 7 of the key 8 to the keyhole of the lock, the arm 3 being provided at its extremity with a finger-grip 9 positioned for ease of operation by a finger of the left-hand, while the key-shank 7 is held in the notch 6 by the right-hand, the operator maneuvering the arm 3, by means of the right-hand, until the arm has reached the limit of its arcuate swing, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 1, in which position it is held by the stop 10 mounted on the escutcheon-plate 11 of the lock, with the notch 6 and key-shank 7 directly in line with the key-hole 12.

The form shown in Figures 41-, 5 and 6 comprises a semi-circular plate 13 pivotally connected at 141 to a face lock-plate 15 adapted to be limited in its sweep by means of the pin 16, the plate-13 being provided with a notch 17 so positioned as to guide the key 18 to the key-hole 19, when swung to the limit of its arcuate movement by pressure upon the finger-grips 20. The pivot 14 may be sufliciently tight, frictionally, to hold the plate 13 at any pie-determined position, preferably, though, in the normal position shown in full line in Figure 1.

In Figure 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of arm 21 adapted for pivotal connection at 22, this form being designed for use in connection with switch-plug locks, in which construction, one lock is disposed above the other in close proximity, the notches 23 and 24 being adapted for guidance of a key to either key-hole (not shown) by use of the finger-grips 25.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

A key-guide of the character described, comprising, in combination, a door-lock bearing an escutcheon-plate and knob-shank, a guide-member in the form of a stamping having a ring at one end adapted to completely encircle said knob-shank and be dependent therefrom, the said member having 15 a key-engaging notch formed in one edge adapted to receive and guide the shank of the key and to also normally register with the keyhole of the look, a stop-pin mounted in the escutcheon-plate immediately adjacent to and slightly above the key-hole and adapted to engage said member to limit its further movement when said notch is brought to register with the key-hole, and a finger grip formed at the lower extremity of said stamping constituted of a portion bent at right angles to the main section of the guide member.

In testimony whereof I have afhxed my signature.

HUGH F. MCDONALD. 

